[Archived] Uptown Retail & Restaurant News 2012-17

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Chip Whitley
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Chip Whitley » October 11th, 2017, 8:09 am

I hope this Taco John's news is real although I fear it's not. I've long said a Taco Bell/ Taco John's would do well in Uptown. Especially one of Taco Bell's newer concepts that serve alcohol. That would do well in Uptown (replace Arby's???). However, I love Taco John's so I wouldn't mind that either.

In other Uptown news, the official Uptown Target opening date is now October 22. It had previously been reported as October 18 but it appears that is a soft opening only. I live in Revel, the building that Target is in, and they are hosting an event on the 18th to celebrate Target opening. It says tickets will be given out to give you access into Target to shop. Kind of weird to think of needing a ticket to shop at a Target but I guess it's because it's only a soft opening.

Lastly, does anyone have any updates on the Uptown hotel opening date? Their web site says "Late 2017" which is right around now.

mnmike
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby mnmike » October 11th, 2017, 9:01 am

I hope this Taco John's news is real although I fear it's not. I've long said a Taco Bell/ Taco John's would do well in Uptown. Especially one of Taco Bell's newer concepts that serve alcohol. That would do well in Uptown (replace Arby's???). However, I love Taco John's so I wouldn't mind that either.

Full circle? Taco bell was in uptown, I think on the empty Calhoun Square lot. Oh, but uptown is being ruined, there were never chains before!...all the hipsters will say :roll: lol

PS, I feel like it Taco Johns was really opening there...they would put more than a few fliers taped to the outside of the windows? But I see that's already been discussed.

HiawathaGuy
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby HiawathaGuy » October 11th, 2017, 10:46 am

In other Uptown news, the official Uptown Target opening date is now October 22. It had previously been reported as October 18 but it appears that is a soft opening only. I live in Revel, the building that Target is in, and they are hosting an event on the 18th to celebrate Target opening. It says tickets will be given out to give you access into Target to shop. Kind of weird to think of needing a ticket to shop at a Target but I guess it's because it's only a soft opening.
Target does this for friends and family to check out/try out the new store. I opened the downtown store in 2001 and our soft opening was done exactly the same. It's a means of testing the systems before they're really open to guests. Plus it's always fun to be a part of something special - specifically for those who've been spending months working on the place.

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buzz
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby buzz » October 17th, 2017, 5:28 pm

I hope this Taco John's news is real although I fear it's not. I've long said a Taco Bell/ Taco John's would do well in Uptown. Especially one of Taco Bell's newer concepts that serve alcohol. That would do well in Uptown (replace Arby's???). However, I love Taco John's so I wouldn't mind that either.

In other Uptown news, the official Uptown Target opening date is now October 22. It had previously been reported as October 18 but it appears that is a soft opening only. I live in Revel, the building that Target is in, and they are hosting an event on the 18th to celebrate Target opening. It says tickets will be given out to give you access into Target to shop. Kind of weird to think of needing a ticket to shop at a Target but I guess it's because it's only a soft opening.

Lastly, does anyone have any updates on the Uptown hotel opening date? Their web site says "Late 2017" which is right around now.
The new Target store opened today - I walked in while folks from the corporate office were speaking and celebrating the opening. Got a nice canvas bag and some snacks.

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Chip Whitley
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Chip Whitley » October 18th, 2017, 8:01 am

I visited the Uptown Target yesterday as well. The major and CEO of Target were there. Lots of free samples. I was happily surprised by the layout and selection. I thought a Target of this size would not carry certain items compared to a full-size Target. However, everything I'd expect to see in a full-size Target was there, just a smaller selection. They had items like TVs, a decent fresh meat/ produce area, and household decor that I didn't really expect. The clothing they had, although somewhat limited, was stuff that I might actually buy. The hours are kind of weird. They are open until 11pm on Saturday but not Friday. But overall, I'm happy Target decided to open up in Uptown.

seanrichardryan
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby seanrichardryan » November 6th, 2017, 10:34 am

Fig + Farro to open in former Parella/ Primebar/ Il Gatto/ Filigo space.

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... -spot.html
Q. What, what? A. In da butt.

MattW
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby MattW » November 7th, 2017, 9:35 am

Fig + Farro to open in former Parella/ Primebar/ Il Gatto/ Filigo space.

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... -spot.html
All I can say is that I wish them luck

David Greene
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby David Greene » November 7th, 2017, 11:52 am

I am really looking forward to it. We've been trying to go more plant-based but eating out is super difficult in that regard. This will be welcome. Hope they make it!

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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby PhilmerPhil » November 7th, 2017, 12:22 pm

I generally don't seek out vegetarian options, but their menu looks really tasty, and the prices look great for a more casual night out.

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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby MNdible » November 7th, 2017, 12:27 pm

Do we imagine that the rent must have come down substantially from what they were asking previously? Hard to see how any restaurant, let alone one serving a niche audience, could cover that expense.

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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Chef » November 7th, 2017, 8:49 pm

Vegetarian food is significantly cheaper to make than meat based dishes. They should be able to run a much lower food cost than most other restaurants which means they have more money for the rent. This could work.

acs
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby acs » November 7th, 2017, 9:12 pm

Dang, I was hoping retail rents were finally coming down. That would be much better for the whole area.

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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby MNdible » November 7th, 2017, 11:39 pm

Vegetarian food is significantly cheaper to make than meat based dishes. They should be able to run a much lower food cost than most other restaurants which means they have more money for the rent. This could work.
Certainly true, but also true that they can't charge as much for these dishes. And labor doesn't get any cheaper.

mplsmatt
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby mplsmatt » November 8th, 2017, 10:26 am

The F+F menu doesn't do much for me, but in the Mpls/St. Paul Magazine article they mentioned having a reasonably priced wine list (glasses starting at $5) which I am fully on board with.

Chef
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Chef » November 10th, 2017, 6:27 pm

Vegetarian food is significantly cheaper to make than meat based dishes. They should be able to run a much lower food cost than most other restaurants which means they have more money for the rent. This could work.
Certainly true, but also true that they can't charge as much for these dishes. And labor doesn't get any cheaper.
I ran the kitchen of an Uptown restaurant that had a large vegan/vegetarian component for three years. The typical food cost of a vegetarian entree was 12% to 16% of the menu price, the meat based entrees ranged from 25% to 35%. In a typical full service restaurant in the Twin Cities the food cost should be 29% to 32%. For an entirely vegan/vegetarian restaurant you could run a 15% food cost and still be price competitive with other vegan/vegetarian restaurants. The difference comes primarily from the fact that people who open vegan/vegetarian restaurants tend to be amateurish operators from outside the industry who are bad at cost control. When vegetarian restaurants are operated by people who know how to run restaurants they tend to be enormously profitable.

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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby MNdible » November 22nd, 2017, 3:18 pm

They're doing a fine job of really trashing the old Falafel King building. They've put up a new steel canopy all of the way around the building, pretty much ruining the historic corner entrance and the beautiful old cast iron column there.

PhilmerPhil
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby PhilmerPhil » November 22nd, 2017, 3:19 pm

This has long been painful to watch, starting when they painted the building green...

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Nathan
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Nathan » November 22nd, 2017, 4:37 pm

In no defense of what's happening in the old falafel king physically...

Hasty tasty sounds like it's going to be a really great spot, at least really fun drinks from th be industry folk I know working there.

RailBaronYarr
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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby RailBaronYarr » December 12th, 2017, 12:47 pm

Hasty Tasty gets coverage in the SWJ: http://www.southwestjournal.com/news/bi ... ke-corner/

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Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby PhilmerPhil » December 17th, 2017, 3:56 pm

Sephora opening in the old AT&T space in Calhoun Square along Hennepin


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